FedEx driver fired.......

Leffler released from #11: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has released driver Jason Leffler from his driving duties with the #11 car in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Terry Labonte will compete in several of the upcoming Nextel Cup races in the #11, beginning this weekend at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. JGR will also turn to its NASCAR Busch Series drivers - J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin - to split driving duties in the #11 in the remaining Nextel Cup races where Terry Labonte is not scheduled to drive. "This was a difficult decision," said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. "Everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing had high hopes for Jason and the #11 team, but our performance wasn't meeting the expectations all of us set forth at the beginning of the year. It hasn't been for lack of effort, as Jason is a talented race car driver who worked incredibly hard and was terrific with our sponsor.
"With an experienced veteran in Terry Labonte, the #11 will benefit from his 25 years of Nextel Cup racing, and ideally, climb higher in points. In looking toward next year, J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin will get some valuable seat time at the Nextel Cup level that will allow us to build the #11 into a race-winning contender for 2006 and beyond."
Terry Labonte's addition to JGR is a natural, as Terry's younger brother, Bobby, is a 10-year veteran of JGR, having piloted the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet since 1995. The Labonte brothers are the only brothers in NASCAR history to win NASCAR Cup Series championships. Terry won the title in 1984 and 1996, while Bobby won in 2000. :We want to thank Hendrick Motorsports for allowing Terry to assist us with the #11 team," said Gibbs, whose team now features three NASCAR Cup Series champions in Bobby, Terry and 2002 series champion Tony Stewart. "In planning the future of the #11 team, we looked around the Cup and Busch Series garages and decided that the two best talents were already driving for us. J.J. and Denny are exceptional race car drivers, and we felt it was important to give each of them a shot at Nextel Cup." (True Speed Communication/JGR)(8-8-2005

Very glad to see JJ Yeley get some Cup experience as I'm a big fan of his. I know he flys the wrong colors but there will be times I'll pull for him and if it comes down to the #88 and #11 with Yeley going for the win I'll be in JJ's corner.

BTW: Write the check, Smoke's got the cup for 2005' IMO and I'm tickled pink he does. Also now Kurt Busch has announced he's signed up with Penske for the #2 seat starting in 2007' and wants out of the Rousch contract after this year. It's getting silly!

Keep an eye on Gibbs' other driver, Denny Hamlin. Hamlin is a former champion at my local track. He's been winning Late Model races all over Virginia and North Carolina.

Smoke? I'm with you on that one too. Tony has changed a bunch for the better. He's ok in my book.

Another kid, Woody Howard, is in the Gibbs development program running Hooters races. Woody is yet another champ from my home track. Woody's car owner in the Hooters series is the same guy Hamlin drove for. Woody has 3 wins so far in '05.

Another driver for FEDEX is in hot water as well. A FEDEX mechanic at Boston Logan drove a FEDEX jet across an active runway in front of a passenger jet about to take off....ignoring flight controller orders....maybe he should drive #11.

upsdude,
I have noticed Hamlin in the Busch series and he has done well. I've watched the Busch series this year almost every week because IMO I think the racing is better but I'm also watching one of our local kids Reed Sorenson. Clint Bowyer has also done very well and he's an old dirt tracker so you know I like him. Busch series has a lot of young talent that will make Cup some more fun in a few years if not sooner. I use to think Jeff Gordon was a lock for 8 championships but not anymore and with the young guns coming into the sport he may not even win another which I would have considered crazy talk not long ago and I'm not even a Gordon fan. Not against him either but I do enjoy ragging his hardcore fans especially the females. Boy do they get vile when you start trashing Wonderboy! It's so much fun.

Speaking of Smoke, he sez he's calmed down and not taking things so serious and I really think his more relaxed attitude is paying off. After they announced last year he had bought Eldora Speedway along with his USAC and WoO operations I was wondering if he's taking on to much but his performance on track this year suggests he should have done this long ago. LOL! I bet they had one hell of a party at the DQ in Columbia Ohio on Monday evening.

I have and still do believe Tony is the best pure driver out there as he can race anything and to my knowledge there is no driver past or present who can claim to be a former USAC Triple Crown Champ, former IRL Champ and former Cup champ with a potential now to add another Cup to his mantle. With all respect to even the late great Dale Earnhardt, not even he came close to that accomplishment or has anyone else for that matter. JMO.

BTW:How's the short tracking been this summer? My oldest daughter and I went Saturday night to the local dirt track to see winged sprinters but the rain won. I'll be glued to Speed Channel this weekend for the famed Knoxville Nationals. I'd like to see Blaney and even Kasey Kahne jump back into an Outlaw but I'm sure with Cup committments that won't happen. When you gonna rip that asphalt up and start some real racing?

I agree about Tony being one of the greatest. I was a huge DE fan and I often wondered what he could have done in the other series. With Tony there isn't any question. I listened to an interview with Zippy Tuesday night. He commented that Tony never suggests setups. He rarely asks what the setup is, he just drives the car and has trust in the crew chief. I like that.

I like to pick on the Gordon fans as well. They are quickly finding out he is human, just like the rest of us. Just to clarify, I do think he will be viewed as one of the best ever.

Now for the important stuff. Wkmac my friend, you know asphalts for racing and dirts for planting!